Love Across the Ocean
by Haine-chan
Summary: May yearns to see the world above the water's surface & catches the attention of the sea warlock, Archie, who gives her legs in exchange for the Blue Orb. Once on land, she meets disgraced Prince Steven, who fights to redeem himself, & his scheming adviser, Maxie. Can May and Steven fix their mistakes & learn to accept their flaws before the flood? Retelling of The Little Mermaid.
1. I Want to See the World!

Chapter 1

I Want to See the World!

"But Dad, I'm twenty years old now! I want to go to the surface and train with my Pokémon, just like you did,"

May crossed her arms over her shoulders as she discussed the topic of leaving home with her father in their underwater living room. This had been a regular occurrence for a long time now, and May was desperate to get his approval. Every summer, mertrainers from across the ocean would gather at the surface of the water and train their Pokemon for the entirety of the season. She had fervently watched those same merpeople return from their training stronger and more confident than they were before. Although she herself was a competent trainer, she knew that, with the time and effort she had put into training, she could make it to the surface with the others.

She swished her mermaid tail back and forth impatiently as she waited for her father's response. As usual, he sat in his chair with the same placid expression on his face. He too, had his arms crossed, but was much more collected than his daughter. Her mother, on the other hand, looked at her expectantly. Her hands clasped together in her hand, she quickly glanced from her to her father, anticipating who would pipe up next.

"Age has nothing to do with it. You're not going." He finally responded, not even bothering to open his eyes to look at her.

May rolled her eyes. "That's not a real reason why I can't go! Just because you're afraid to let me go up there doesn't mean I shouldn't be allowed to."

"May, I can't let you go to the surface because you're not nearly as prepared as you should be," her father suddenly said. Never had he been so vocal in their previous arguments. It was usually one word answers with him, but tonight, he was in a chatty mood. "The minute you raised your head above the water, trainers would swarm you with Pokemon far stronger than your own." He raised a hand when he saw May open her mouth to protest. "I know you've been trying your best to train with the resources down here, and I am proud of you for that, but the truth of the matter is that those surface trainers have had numerous more opportunities to grow stronger than you have. Just look at what happened to Wally."

May closed her mouth when he said that name. "Oh…yeah."

Her father nodded his head solemnly. "You remember what happened to him, right? He thought he was well enough to make the trip. His parents, though reluctant, let him go. But…"

"I know," said May, "He went to the surface and got really hurt and he's never been the same since."

"And that furthers my point that you'll need much more intensive training before I even consider you capable of doing your best up there. I wouldn't want to see you get hurt just because you overestimated yourself."

"Norman…" her mother said quietly as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "Please try to see it from her point of view. She's missed out on surface training for the past three years. Surely now would be a good time to start."

He sighed before looking to his wife. "I know what she's thinking," he said. "She's an adult now. She trusts in her Pokemon's abilities and she wants to further her bonds with them. But until she learns the fundamentals of battle, I won't even consider letting her up there." Norman, apparently fatigued rom the long speech, got up from his chair and swam towards his bedroom. "I need to meditate for a while."

"Of course," said his wife with a small smile. Once the door closed, the two women sighed heavily. May's mother patted the couch cushion beside her and May slowly swam to it. "I know you must be frustrated with your father right now, but you know why he's said no, right?"

"Yeah," conceded May with a frown. "And they're all good reasons too. I know I'm not the strongest trainer on this side of the coral reef, but Brendan and I have been training a lot lately and I thought that if I could just go up there to the surface, I could challenge dad and show him just how much I've learned."

"Oh sweetie…" her mother said as she hugged her close. "I know you've always wanted to prove yourself to him, but he knows that will come with time. Nothing has to happen this instant. And if it's meant to be, it will. Just give it some time, ok?"

May looked up at her mother and nodded. "I just wish it would come faster."

"Just you wait. Before you know it, you'll be swimming circles around your father!"

"That'll be the day," May smiled as she got up. "I'm gonna go hang out with Brendan, ok?"

"Alright, but make sure to be home for supper!"

xxXXxx

As she had expected, Brendan was training his Pokémon on the open waters outside of his house. She released her luvdic and commanded it to use bubblebeam, which effectively scared her unsuspecting friend.

"Hey!" he cried out in surprise. The minute he noticed her swimming up to him, he returned his Pokémon and came to meet her. "So, today's the day right? Going to break down Daddy's protective walls?"

"Already tried," she replied as she took a seat on her favourite rock.

"Well aren't you spry today. So what'd the boss say?" Brendan asked.

"What he always says. A big fat no."

Brendan looked down to the seafloor and furrowed his brows. "Aw, that sucks. I'm sorry it didn't work out."

"Nah, it's alright," May replied with a small smile. "He actually explained himself this time though, which is an improvement. I didn't get the 'nod-grunt-no' routine."

"Wow, he must really want to get it through your thick skull."

May slapped Brendan on the arm and retorted, "No he doesn't! Besides, my head is perfectly made, alright?"

"I know, I know. But seriously, what did he tell you?"

"That he wants me to get much, much stronger before I ever dream of going up to the surface like the other trainers. He says that the people up there are ten times more powerful than I am and he doesn't want me to waste my opportunity just because I overestimated myself."

"Well, he does have a point. You still can't beat me yet, so how can you be expected to defeat those guys?" he said as he pointed a thumb towards the surface.

"Hey, I'm getting there ok? I beat your seel and your poliwhirl last time."

"But you still can't tackle my mudkip!"

"Someday…" May sighed and looked upwards. "Brendan."

"Yeah?"

"Do you think we'll ever get up there?"

"We?"

"Yeah, us. I wouldn't want to go up there without you. But really, do you ever think we'll be strong enough to hold our own against the other trainers out there?"

"I think, as long as we keep battling with each other and making sure our Pokemon are growing stronger, we will. And I thnk it'll happen sooner than you think."

May smiled and patted her luvdisc. "Maybe you're right."

**A/N: As per usual, my opening chappie isn't as long as subsequent ones, but I really just wanted to get this one out of the way. And yes, I shouldn't be starting a new story when I've still got two others on the go but I'm in a Pokemon mood so I'm writing while I've got it going on. I've had this idea rolling around in my head for about two years but only since the remakes did I actually put some decent thought into it. Also, I'm making most of the characters in this fic older because it's weird if I keep their canon ages. Like Steven will still be the same but here, May, as previously stated, is 20 and Brendan is 21. On another side note, the theme song for this is "Love Across the Ocean" by Kumi Koda. Look forward to some adventures with Brendan and May and some serious foreshadowing! Toodles!**


	2. Walla-Walla-Wally, What Are You Doing?

Chapter 2

Walla-Walla-Wally What Are You Doing Here?

After a heated battle with Brendan, May returned home and spent the rest of the evening catching up with her father. It was a rare occasion indeed when he was around for more than a day, and May took the opportunity to ask him more about training and battle strategies. He was more than happy to oblige her, and May would sometimes notice her mother smiling fondly at her as they chatted. After his refusal to allow her to train on the surface, she was determined to become stronger than ever. She had agreed to meet with Brendan every afternoon in order to hone her skills. It was during her third battling session that a familiar face greeted them at their usual spot.

"Hey guys…" Wally said sheepishly as he swam up to them. May and Brandan had only just begun their training and were shocked to see the usually sickly merboy come out of his house. May tried to hide her shock, whereas Brendan simply let his mouth drop.

"Hey, how's it going?" asked May with a smile. "Are you feeling any better?"

"A little," he admitted. "Dad says that if I keep resting, I'll be better in no time. Though that doesn't leave me with anything fun to do except watch the corphish swim by my window."

"Are you even allowed to be here right now?" asked Brendan seriously.

May slapped him on the arm and she received a pained look from her friend.

"Well, now that you mention it…no," Wally replied with a frown. "I said I was going to visit one of my parents' friends that live down the reef but I changed my mind and decided that I'd see what you two were up to."

Brendan casually swam closer to May and whispered, "This is a bad idea. Let's make him cough hard enough that he has to go home."

"Brendan!" she hissed. "That's rude! Not to mention gross,"

"Then what do we do with him?" he asked. "Pretend he isn't here or leave like we've got something else to do?"

"We're not doing either of those things. What we'll do is—"

"Is something wrong?" asked Wally quietly. "Was I interrupting you?"

May paused before swimming up to the sickly boy. "We were just training. You actually have good timing; we were just about to start a new match."

Wally's face lit up like a Christmas tree in December. "Really? Would you mind if I watched? I know…I'm not the greatest battler, but maybe if I watch you guys, I could learn a thing or two!"

"Sure," May agreed. "Just take a seat on that rock there and watch the show unfold!"

As May readied her Pokémon, Brendan swam up to her once again and ushered her to a spot farther away from Wally. "Are you out of your mermaid brain, May? This kid's infamous for being the neighbourhood fable! Little children are told by their parents 'not to screw things up like that Wally dude did'."

"They don't say it like that," May said with a roll of her eyes. "Besides, if you were a lonely, sick boy like Wally, would you want the only people who talk to you to ignore you, just like everyone else?"

He paused before sighing in defeat. "You're right, but I don't like it. He's only watching one battle and then he's going home. Who knows if or when his parents will show up and what they'll do to us when they found out he's come here."

"They might actually thank us," she stated with a smirk. "We're keeping him safe and giving him some entertainment—and it's all free."

"Why are you so optimistic…" mumbled Brendan as he began rummaging through his Pokeballs.

"Come on, let's get started," she said happily. She happened to glance over at Wally, who was still smiling from ear to ear. This must be the most interesting thing he's done in ages. "Go, mudkip!"

"Go, wailmer!"

The two hadn't battled with this specific combination in a while, but May had been strategizing a way to beat Brendan at his own game, once and for all. If I can beat Brendan, then I can show my dad that I'm finally ready to go up to the surface. "Quick, use tail whip!"

"Attack it while it's distracted. Use water gun!"

Typical. You think you're strategy is so fool proof? Go ahead, use it. I'm ready for you.

"Oh no," she said dramatically as her mudkip was hit by the attack.

"Come on May, step up your game! You can't use tail whip forever."

"I can't?" she said with a smirk. "Well watch me. Use tail whip again mudkip!"

She continued this process for a few more rounds, with Brendan's facial expressions becoming increasingly exasperated.

"We'll never get anywhere at this rate," he moaned. "Looks like we'll have to call it a match. Wailmer…"

And now, for the grand finale.

"Now mudkip, use bri—!"

BOOM.

All three trainers were knocked to the sea floor as an ear-drum shattering explosion pierced through the area. They covered their ears and returned their Pokémon, with May swimming over to Wally to ensure that he was safe. As quickly as it had occurred, the area grew quiet again.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Brendan as he shook his head. "What was that?"

May looked to Wally and helped him up. She glanced around the cove. "Maybe it was a Pokémon battle gone wrong," she mused.

"Or the sea warlock," said Wally quietly.

The two trainers slowly turned their heads towards the boy and stared at him as if he had morphed into the kraken.

"What did you just say?" Brendan said gravely.

Wally blushed slightly as he wringed his fingers together. "Oh, um…nothing…"

"No," insisted Brendan as he swam towards the green haired boy. "I'm pretty sure you just said the two words every child brought up in this reef are taught to shiver in fear at. Which, I might add, makes it really weird that you would even think that that explosion had anything to do with him."

"I-it was just a theory. I d-didn't mean to make you angry!" protested Wally as he held his arms up to his face.

"Brendan, simmer down," insisted May as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Stop defending him, May!" her friend snapped. He locked eyes with Wally and continued angrily, "You come here against your parents' wishes, interrupt our Pokémon training and insist on mentioning the one person that could destroy this entire ocean, all without expecting anyone to bat an eyelash at it? You're just like everyone says: a weak, idiotic little kid who feeds off of the sympathy of others!"

"Brendan!" May yelled angrily. He looked to her and furrowed his eyebrows, anger still raging in his eyes. She shook her head sadly and watched Wally quiver in fear. By now, he was curled up into a ball on the ground, not even daring to look up at Brendan. She tried to reach out to him, but before she could, the little merboy immediately sprang up from the ground and swam away as fast as his little tail would take him. Her hand was left hovering in the air while Brendan let out a frustrated groan.

"I'm going home," he declared as he swam away from her, too.

As soon as the trail of bubbles the two boys left behind was gone, May slumped onto the rock that Wally had been sitting on and buried her head in her hands. Her mudkip sprang out of its pokeball and floated up to her. She smiled at it and scratched its chin. "Boys can be so stupid sometimes," she mused.

**A/N: So someone drew some sick fanart of Archie as a merman…totally basing my version off of him. Here's a link: search/archie+merman. Seems like perfect timing too, considering I just started writing this story…weird! There was a lot of dialogue in this chappie, which is a trend that'll continue! Let me know what you thought, and I'll see you next time.**


	3. The Mermaid and the Warlock

Chapter 3

The Mermaid and the Warlock

May was in no hurry to get home, and so she sat there on the rock, contemplating what she would have to say to appease Brendan and what to do in order to ensure that Wally was emotionally stable. She had always done this, though: no matter what the circumstance, she was always the mediator. She hated to see her friends fight and she was always desperate in her attempts to calm both sides. The longer she contemplated, the longer she realized that, by ensuring that both sides were appeased and happy at the end of the day, that she was sacrificing her own personal happiness. She had never felt sad or angry when she had to spend her free time talking with Brendan in order to help him calm down after a losing battle. She had never noticed how worn out she'd felt after secretly following Wally in order to make sure that, whenever he decided to slip out unnoticed from is parent's home (he believed himself to be a ninja, but he was the farthest thing from it), he was safe from harm. The longer she contemplated these things the more she realized how integral she was to the safety of her friends.

_If only they knew just how much I did for them, maybe they wouldn't be so quick to desert me._

She sighed and closed her eyes, reclining on the rock and pretending it was more comfortable than it actually was. When she decided that it was time to go home and fix what was wrong, she found herself looking into the blood-red eyes of a rather ferocious-looking sharpedo.

May caught herself before she screamed bloody murder, but couldn't stop herself from shooting upright from her position on the rock. The sharpedo had anticipated her shock and quickly darted out of the way. It floated a few feet away from her, observing her as she began to calm herself down.

_What is a sharpedo doing in this end of the reef? I'm the only thing for miles—well, besides mudkip. But this is a terrible spot to go hunting. Maybe it's not that hungry after all._

She titled her head to the side. "What do you want?"

The sharpedo seemed to understand her and promptly swam away.

"Wait, where are you going?" asked May as she returned her mudkip. It didn't turn around however, and she was forced to hastily try and catch up to it. It was no secret that sharpedo were the fastest sea creatures around and this one was particularly interested in showcasing that fact. It swam past rocks and glided across the sea floor with grace. May had never seen a sharpedo with such elegance. _It's almost enough to make me like it…_

As soon as that thought passed through her mind, the Pokémon looked back at her and flashed its razor sharp teeth before continuing its journey.

_…on second thought, maybe not._

Before she knew it, May was in a part of the ocean she'd never seen before. It was dark, almost creepy, and there were barely any Pokémon milling about. When she did notice one, it was usually a skittish krabby who quickly scuttled back into its dark hiding spot.

_I'm getting a bad feeling about this place. Maybe I should turn around. It's not like the sharpedo can tell me to stop. Well, maybe its teeth can, but I'm willing to take that risk if it means getting out of this creepy place._

Just as she began to swish her tail in the opposite direction, the sharpedo stopped swimming altogether and looked back at her expectantly. May, in turn, stopped moving and craned her neck to see what the Pokemon wanted. What she saw was something she never expected to lay eyes on in her entire life.

What lay in front of her was the dilapidated shell of a pirate ship. Huge chunks of wood were missing and sea life had begun to make its home on the pieces that remained. The mast was broken at the top, and the tattered remains of a white sail hung limp. A large hole had been made in the right side of the boat and that was exactly where the sharpedo was now heading.

May refused to follow. Of all the places it would lead me to…it had to be this. The Pokémon noticed and quickly approached her. She flinched as it stared her down, intimidating her to the very core of her being. Before she could react, the sharpedo was pushing her back, forcing her closer to the ship.

"Hey!" she protested as she flailed her arms out wildly. "I don't consent to this kind of treatment! Let me go!"

The Pokémon, if it understood her cries for help, did nothing and continued forcing her towards the ship. Its speed was so immense that May didn't have the time to try and swim away. Before she knew it, she was floating around in the belly of the ship, the sharpedo swimming deeper into the boat.

_I guess it's too late to turn back now, she thought. Might as well see what's around here._

Before she followed the sharpedo, she took a moment to look at the ship itself. Scattered pieces of trinkets and clothing were strewn all across the seafloor. She picked up what looked to be a fragment of a mirror and caught a glance of herself in its reflection. She tilted her head to the side as she examined her facial features, noting the curl of her hair and the slight spattering of freckles she had doted around her nose. I'll have to make sure Dad doesn't notice that. He'll think I've gone up to the surface.

As May continued to gaze at her reflection, she caught something sparkle in the mirror. It disappeared almost instantaneously, but she quickly turned around to try and see what it was. She glanced down at the ground with calculating eyes and soon discovered something shimmering in the sands just outside the ship. She apprehensively swam towards it and moved away some of the sand that covered it.

From what she could tell, she was now holding a pin with the most brilliant stone she'd ever seen housed within it. Even in the darkest depths of the ocean, it still had a shimmer to it. She twirled it in her fingers, lightly touching the smooth stone and attempting to see its glow from various angles. _I wonder who this belonged to…_

Before she could ponder the pin's owner any longer, she heard the guttural noise of the sharpedo cry out from within the ship. She hastily stashed the pin in her bag and frantically swam back into the boat. She tried to follow the echoes of the Pokémon's cry and found herself swimming deeper and deeper into the ship. How big can one boat be? She asked herself as she rounded a corner. As she turned to see what lay behind the corner, her breath caught in her throat.

_Well, I at least I found the sharpedo._

Next to the shark Pokémon was a merman she'd never laid eyes on before. Possessing blue eyes and a disheveled mop of brown hair, the man reclined in a chair that seemed to be built from the bones of dead animals. The way he carried himself implied that he was expecting May's presence, as he wasn't making any attempts to get up from his spot and force her out. She noticed that a long scar ran down his chest and it made her shiver thinking about what could have given him such a wound. It was only after taking the man in that she realized whose company she presently found herself in.

"You're Archie, the warlock. Aren't you?" May said.

The man smiled wide. "So you've heard of me, eh, little scamp?"

Little scamp? Never heard that one before. "I've heard the fables," she said, crossing her arms.

"Oh?" He leaned in closer to her and added, "And what do they say about me?"

_I've gotta watch what I say. I certainly don't want to be on this guy's bad side._ She took in a breath before saying, "They say you live in a ship that you destroyed by your own hand and that you use the bones of your victims as your furniture." The warlock looked down at his seat and so did May. She resisted the urge to shiver before continuing, "You lure merpeople who are naïve or foolhardy into making impossible deals with you."

The man leaned back in his chair and said, "Well, let's see if I can dispute any of those claims. This ship was here when I found it; no foul play needed. This chair was made from the bones of already deceased creatures, and they're surely not my victims by any means. I'd like to know who mauled 'em up though," He chuckled to himself and his sharpedo seemed to chuckle with him. "As for the deal thing, it is true; I'll give people what they want, that is, if they're willing to pay the price."

"They also say that your sharpedo eats all those who refuse your offers." May added quickly, sending a glare at the aforementioned Pokemon.

"While I'm not the biggest fan of rejection, I have to admit that never once has sharpedo here eaten a person." He admitted as he patted the Pokémon on the head.

"What?" May said in disbelief.

"No, scamp. She prefers to have her meals handed to her on a silver platter. And the corpses have to be fresh."

May's mouth closed almost instantly and she could feel her face pale.

Archie burst out in laughter, slapping his tail as he hollered. "Yer a funny little lass, scamp. Not like some of my other customers."

"Customers?" May asked.

"Clients, customers, consumers, whatever floats your boat. Or in this case, sinks it." He paused before shaking his head and resuming his playful stance. "Now yer probably wondering why I brought ya here, eh little scamp?"

May said nothing as she stared daggers at the sharpedo. It merely glared back.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," Archie concluded. "Well, I have to tell ya a little story first. You like stories, right?"

May nodded her head.

"Good. Once upon a time, not so long ago, I was sitting here, doing what I normally do, when all of a sudden there's a commotion from outside the ship. Sharpedo here goes out to look. And guess what she finds?"

May stared at the warlock as he expectantly waited for her answer.

"C'mon scamp, what do ya think it was?"

She pursed her lips before replying, "An intruder?"

"Bingo! A little merboy was peeking around my ship! The dirty rascal. So I brought the little brat in and was going to have him punished for trespassing—you know what I do to trespassers, right?—but then he starts blubbering on about how much he wants to ask me a favour. Now everyone knows I don't do favours. But the little brat had spunk. So I asked him what he wanted and would you believe what comes out of his mouth next?" He paused once more, but knew May didn't want to give him an answer, so he continued, "He wants me to give him a pair of legs!"

May furrowed her brows in confusion.

Archie noticed her confused expression and nodded. "That's what I thought too, scamp. But what would ya know, as soon as I start telling him that'd be a mighty big favour to ask of me, he interrupts me—the little brat—and says that it's not for him, it's for someone else!"

"What?" said May in disbelief.

Archie nodded his head and continued, "So this is when I get real interested. No one, and I mean no one, in all my years as a sorcerer, has anyone asked me for something for someone else. I play it cool and say, 'And who might this lovely pair of legs be intended for then?' And he looks down at the ground, all shy, and says a name that rhymes with 'bay'."

Her eyes widened in shock. "No…no, you don't mean—"

"That's right scamp," smiled Archie. "He meant you."

She could hardly find the words to speak. _How does he know who I am? Did Wally tell him about me? Oh, Wally, what have you done?_ "But what—how do you—why would Wally—"

"That's what I wanted to figure out too, scamp. So I asked him, I said, 'Why would that little lady wants legs? Wouldn't she rather have jewels or money?' And he looks up at me with the fiercest expression I've ever seen on such a wee lad and says, 'She wants to go to the surface to train her Pokémon. And I want to help her fulfill her dream'."

May's head was spinning. The little sickly boy from down the reef had braved the darkest depths of the sea to ask a warlock to give her legs so she could train on land? _He doesn't just want me to battle on the water—it has to be actual _land_._

Archie noticed her expression, and his grin became more sinister. "Would you believe that I sat there, dumbfounded, for a good minute? Well I did, that is until a thought came into my head. I said 'sure, I'll grant your request. But that'll cost you a pretty penny'. And just when I thought I'd sealed the deal, he runs off." Archie took a deep breath. "And that, scamp, is why I've brought you here. You more than anyone should know that no deal of mine goes unfulfilled."

"But I don't want that anymore," May protested. "We were just speculating and I was just saying it out of the blue when we were—"

"It doesn't matter now, scamp," interrupted Archie. "A deal is a deal. That kid wanted you to have a pair of legs and I want my end of the bargain."

She paused for a second before asking the question she was afraid of. "What did you ask for?"

Archie's smile scared her. "I asked for the blue orb."

May's response was blunt. "I don't have it."

The warlock wasn't fazed by her honesty; rather he seemed to drink it in. "Would ya mind telling me what that pretty blue stone on yer neck is then?"

She glanced down and noticed the familiar blue globe hanging from a gold chain. It sparkled slightly. _It's not as brilliant as that stone in my bag…_ She looked down at said sack, but quickly drew her attention back to the orb. _I can't let him know that I have the pin. He'd probably ask for that too._

"How do you know that's what it is?" May inquired as she fingered the necklace gingerly. "For all we know, it could be a fake."

"That's not what Wally said," Archie stated. "From what I can remember, when I asked for it, he mumbled something about you having it but then added that he'd never ask for it. Maybe that's why he ran away; he was afraid of confronting you about it." He snickered to himself. "Little brat thought he could go behind your back and make all yer dreams come true without even asking ya first!"

May yearned to confront Wally about his terrible mistake, but knew that he was only doing what he believed to be in her best interests. _I guess this is also my fault too. I shouldn't have told him about my wish to have legs…well, it looks like I'm getting what I wished for._

"So let me get this straight," she said. "The deal you proposed to Wally was that you would give me a pair of legs in exchange for this blue orb. But before you could grant his wish, he ran away. Now I'm supposed to take his place in order to ensure that this deal is seen through?"

Archie grinned at her and folded his hand together. "Yer a smart little scamp, aren't ye?"

"But what do you want with this anyway?" she asked.

"That's for me to know and you to ferget about. What's important here is that you get the legs you've always wanted. There's a whole other world worth explorin' up there and you've already spent yer days swimming around down here!" He glanced at May's necklace and extended his arm. "So whaddya say? Are ye ready to see the surface?"

May took a deep breath before unclasping the necklace. She gazed longingly at the jewel, sad to see it go, but not overly torn about parting with it. Holding the orb in her open palm, she locked eyes with Archie. "Like hell I do."

**A/N: So I'm going with the orbs that were established in ORAS, just because it's easier to remember. While I still think it's dumb that they changed them, I understand why they did it. At this point, this has got to take the number one spot for the most fun chapters to write. I never used to like Archie that much but he's slowly growing on me. I think Alpha Sapphire had a lot to do with that, what with the whole revamping of the Team Aqua's overall design and demeanor. What do you guys think?**


	4. On Stranger Shores

Chapter 4

On Stranger Shores

The only thing May could focus on was the rush of water that was now sending her spiraling upwards. She struggled to keep her body from flailing around as she felt tiny bubbles float around her. She tried to use her tail for balance, but soon found that it was not there anymore. Unfortunately, she allowed herself to open her mouth in shock at this realization, which only sent a burst of water rushing into her lungs. She clutched her throat as she became overwhelmed by all of the sensations she was experiencing. Just when she thought she couldn't take it anymore, a bright light came out of nowhere and she could feel her head break the water's surface.

For the first time in her life, May breathed in the salty air of the surface. She still didn't have the courage to open her eyes, but she could taste and smell the new world perfectly. She could hear the cry of a far-off wingull and the splash of some unknown Pokémon only feet away from her. Despite the terror she felt at being flung from her home without warning or goodbyes, she was excited. Wally hadn't been wrong when he'd said she'd wished for legs and at this moment, in the calm after whatever she had just been through, she was ecstatic to know that her dream of becoming a stronger Pokémon trainer was coming to fruition.

Whatever she had just been through was something she was still working out. _The last thing I remember was talking with Archie and agreeing to his deal of swapping my necklace for legs. Then I ended up here. What happened between that? Maybe a side-effect of the deal was amnesia…never mind. I've got to figure out where exactly I am._

When she opened her eyes, she took in the brightness of the sun, which was now blazing red and orange like she'd never seen. Living underwater, she'd only know the sun through the beams of light that would come down through the water. Now, though, she was taking in its full glory. She smiled a bit as she began to notice other things about the surface. There were dozens of Pokémon that swam about, ignoring her for the most part. They ranged from the tiniest feebas to the most enormous wailmer. Huge rocks jutted out of the water and allowed Pokémon she'd never seen before to live on top of them. Everything seemed to work together and it baffled May.

It soon dawned on her that she was starting to sink a bit, as her head would dip perilously close to the water. It was then that she realized that she'd forgotten to ask the warlock how to use her newfound legs. _It shouldn't be that different than moving a tail_, she thought as she lifted them up for examination.

Of course, never having seen a human leg before, it was quite a shock to May to see not one but two of them poking out of the water's surface. They glistened in the sunlight and she could tell that there was a small shimmer to her skin. She thought it was just a trick of the light, but when she tried to rub it away, it didn't budge. _Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I'm still a mermaid…genetically speaking. I hope it's not too noticeable._ She also noted that she was now wearing what humans would call a bikini bottom. _That's a relief!_

May practiced different movements in order to get accustomed to her new body. She kicked out one leg, but that didn't do anything to help her stay afloat. She tried the other one, and received the same reaction. A goldeen stared at her as she attempted to learn how to swim. She rolled her eyes at it as she continued her struggle. It was only when she kicked both legs at the same time that she was able to spring back up.

"Ha!" she proclaimed. "I did it! Did you see that—?" When she turned to point at the goldeen, she noticed that it had already plopped back under the water. She sighed and smoothed back her hair before marveling at the sensation of moving legs. _I can actually feel the water against my legs. I thought it would be slimy and gross but it's not! I wonder what else they can do…_

She let that thought die off as she began to figure out how to swim. After numerous attempts, May finally got it down to a science; it involved coordinating her new found legs in a kicking motion that allowed her body to be propelled forward. It was nothing like the swinging motion she was accustomed to with her tail but as she'd suspected, the two movements could be seen as one in the same.

As she began to swim for the first time as a human, she decided to come up with a game plan. _Now that I have legs, I might as well use them to do what I wanted to in the first place; train! The only problem is I don't see any trainers for miles! But what could be waiting on the shoreline? Maybe trainers live on that, like the Pokémon do on the rocks! I guess there's only one way to find out._

May propelled herself forward in the direction of the strange shore and was actually getting quite used to using two legs when she felt something tug at her from below the surface. At first she thought she'd just snagged her foot on something, but it became apparent that something was purposefully trying to pull her down. She tried kicking at it, but it did nothing to rid herself of the thing. _Well if it's a fight you want, I'll show you one!_

She fumbled around in her bag for her mudkip's pokeball and just when she fingered it, the unknown attacker pulled her under.

As comforting as it felt to be underwater, she was not able to swim and "breathe" freely, and was now struggling to stay alive. She again kicked at the attacker, but it would not be deterred. It was dragging her deeper into the water with every shake of its head. She knew she had to do something, but her bag was now floating away from her, the impact of being dragged under having caused it to slip out of her hands.

May heard the cry of a different creature come from her left and she saw a graceful Pokémon with stripes of red and blue coloring attack the one that was attacking her. It took a nasty blow to the side, which freed her from its grip. She began to float to the surface, but looked down to witness the two fighting fiercely with each other. The beautiful Pokémon was graceful through every movement, even when it was almost bitten by the attacker. Soon, she could feel her head rising above the water and she was back to breathing the surface air. She wanted to return to help the beautiful Pokémon, but she knew she had to find her bag first.

She frantically swam around, searching for the elusive brown bag, and spotted it floating some distance away from her. She quickly scooped it up and rummaged through its contents. Everything she'd brought with her was still in it, including the beautiful pin. _At least that crazy Pokémon didn't chew this stuff up._

As she replaced the bag on her shoulder, she heard the cry of the beautiful Pokémon. She turned around and gasped when she saw it leap out of the water. Its scaly skin shimmered in the hazy sunlight and its bright eyes met hers. _Hey, that kind of looks like my skin! _She clutched her bag in awe as it dove into the water without making a noisy splash. _I wonder where it's going now. I'd like to thank it for saving me—_

Before she could do anything, she felt something from underneath her. _Oh no, don't tell me it's that crazy Pokémon again!_ She tried to swim away, but was flung into the air by the beautiful Pokémon. As she went soaring in the air, she couldn't help but laugh. Was it…actually playing with her? As far as she could tell, it was, and as soon as she came back up from crashing into the water, she swam up to it and began splashing it with water. It responded by diving underwater and nuzzling her shoulder. _I didn't know such a beautiful Pokémon could be so playful!_

"Do you usually do this after you save someone's life?" she asked it. The Pokémon merely cooed in response before spitting water in her face. May was so caught up with her shenanigans that she failed to notice a stranger approach the two on the shoreline.

"Are you alright, miss?"

She turned abruptly from her playing to take in a man in a white cloak standing on the shore. His short sea green hair poked through his white hat and he looked at her with concern. She glanced from the stranger to the Pokémon, which was now gazing intently at the man. _This must be its Trainer. They're both beautiful._

"I am," she replied with a nod. "It's all thanks to your…"

"Milotic," he answered with a smile. "He sensed trouble in the waters and ended up finding you. He's pretty good at that kind of thing. Are you sure you're not hurt? It looked like something vicious was after you."

"I couldn't tell you what it was, but I think I got away without a scratch,"

"I've never seen a Pokémon attack a human before, at least not without being aggravated first. I'll have to tell the others about this…" He paused before saying, "Are you sure you should be in the water still? Who knows if it will come back and I'm sure your hands are more wrinkled than a prune."

"Oh!" she exclaimed, forgetting that she was now a human. She glanced down at her hands and noticed that they indeed looked like a disgusting prune and deduced that this was a sign of ugliness in humans. _I'll have to remember this in the future._

May began swimming to shore and the stranger's milotic gently nudged her forward. The man knelt down and extended his hand towards her and she grabbed onto it.

When her feet touched the sand, she had to hide her shock. The sand was warm and dry on her skin. _The sand was never like this at home_, she noted. Standing was a whole new experience and she couldn't anticipate what walking would be like. Her legs seemed to tingle, like she'd lost all feeling in them. She tried her hardest to appear like she'd walked all her life and the stranger didn't seem to notice too much. He didn't return his milotic to its pokeball, instead allowing it to swim beside them.

"Were you training out there before you were attacked?" the man asked as they slowly walked down the shore.

_No, I was dragged into a wrecked ship by a warlock who gave me the legs you see now!_ "Yeah," she lied. _Well, I guess it's not a complete lie. That's why I'm here_ now, _anyways_. "I guess I got carried away and forgot the time,"

"I understand. Sometimes, I spend entire days just sitting by the water and watching milotic swim."

May let her mouth drop slightly. "Whole days?"

The man smiled. "I've actually only done that once. But I just meant that it's easy to do." He sighed and glanced over at his Pokémon with a warm smile. "Where's your Pokémon? Shouldn't you have it by your side?"

"Ah, well," she stumbled. "I was just finishing up my training and my mudkip's pretty tired. Sometimes I go a bit overboard."

"A mudkip did you say?" the man asked with surprise. "That's a pretty rare Pokémon. Where did you find it?"

"I found it at the bottom of the—" May stopped short of saying 'ocean'. "I mean, my parents gave it to me when I was ten."

The man nodded. "They must be supportive parents if they let you have your first Pokémon at such a young age."

May nodded and looked down at the ground. Already, she was starting to wonder if her parents had noticed her absence and whether or not they were worried. She frowned.

"Are you ok?" the man asked. "Oh, you're shaking. I'm sorry; I should've offered you my cloak sooner."

The stranger placed his white cloak on her shoulders and she was flooded with warmth. _I guess I didn't notice how cold I was until now. _"Thanks…mister…?" she asked.

"Wallace," he replied. "And you are?"

"May,"

The two said nothing as they stood on the beach. Wallace suddenly cleared his throat and said, "I don't mean to be bothersome, but if it weren't for that Pokémon back there, I'd of let you go on your way by now. But I'm afraid if you go back out there, it'll return. Do you mind if I find you some place to stay until I figure out if it's safe to swim there? I wouldn't want the same thing to happen to any other trainers."

May blinked back her shock at the stranger's kindness. _Dad always said humans were a lot more selfish than merpeople. But this guy's proving to be an exception. No, maybe it's just a front. But still, I've got nowhere to go for the night and I'm getting hungry._ "Sure. I agree, I wouldn't want anyone, especially kids to be attacked by…whatever that was. I think I'd blame myself."

Wallace smiled and said, "I would feel the same. I'm just glad milotic was here when it happened…but I'm sure there's a room somewhere in town that you can stay. It's the end of tourist season, so the innkeepers shouldn't have a problem with you taking up a room."

The crashing of the waves against the sand helped to calm her nerves as the two began to make their way further down the shore. The farther they walked, the more May realized that she was slowly leaving behind everything she'd come to know. Wallace began talking about Pokémon, but May's attention was on the glassy waters she knew she wouldn't live under for a while. _I'm sure I'll be fine. Mom and Dad can certainly take care of themselves and Wally is safe now that Archie's deal's been completed. I'll find a way to get back there, but before I return, I'll train as much as I can and come back with the strongest Pokémon the ocean's ever seen! And I may just have some awesome stories to share about the surface, too._

As May smiled to herself, the beady eyes of the Pokémon that had attacked her glared at her before they slowly slunk beneath the water's surface.

**A/N: I don't have much to say this time around other than the fact that we've finally made it to dry land! We'll have to see what's in store for May as she adjusts to life as a human.**


	5. Cities, Palaces and Processions

Chapter 5  
>Cities, Palaces and Processions<p>

Luckily for May, Wallace's predictions were right. He set her up in a small room in one of the many hotels on land. She was afraid to ask what this place was called, for fear of looking like, well, a fish out of water, so she was determined to learn everything she could about her new abode as subtly as possible.

As soon as she was settled in, Wallace declared that he would be back in the morning to check up on her and promptly left. She assumed he didn't want people to get the wrong impression and wasn't offended by his sudden flight. She took the time to get accustomed to her dry accommodations and felt very odd sleeping in a bed with so many stifling layers.

When she woke up in the morning, she changed into the fresh set of clothes that had been waiting for her when she'd arrived the previous night. She made sure to wear her bandana as a reminder of her home, but was oddly surprised at how much she liked the human clothes. She actually felt like a human. _Now all I need to do is act like one._

Just like he had said, Wallace appeared shortly after she was dressed and ready. "Did you sleep well?" he asked.

"As well as I could," she responded with a smile. _I don't think I'll ever like human beds. How can they stand the heat and so many layers?_ "How about you?"

"I didn't get much sleep last night, to be honest," He put a hand behind his head and looked down at the ground. "I was up worrying." He shook his head suddenly and looked up at her. "But I'm just being dramatic. Do you have any plans for today? I was wondering if you wanted to go for a tour of Mossdeep City, seeing as you're not from around here."

_Is it really that obvious?_ May thought. "Well, you're right about that. I'm actually from…" _Think, May, think! What's a name that'll make you look like you live around here but something that won't give you away? Weren't those kids outside the hotel talking about some place named Fallarbor Town? That sounds like a good name! _"…uh, Fallarbor Town."

Wallace smiled a bit. "Well, you must have gotten pretty tired of all that volcanic ash, right?"

_What's a volcano? They sound like fun. _"Yeah, I got tired of being so limited back at home, so I decided to spread my fins here." _  
><em>  
><em>Jeez, now you've done it!<em>

Contrary to May's fear, the man started laughing. "That's a saying I've never heard of before. So what do you say? Ready for the most thrilling tour of your life?"

"That would be awesome!" May said a little too enthusiastically. "I mean, I've never seen a city this big before, so it'd be great to have someone show me around." Before they departed, May packed a few things in her bag, including the beautiful pin and headed out.

The morning sun almost blinded her as she stepped outside. She was still unaccustomed to its intensity on land and hoped that she'd become used to it soon. Wallace showed her the staples of the city, including the Pokémon Centre, where he claimed nurses (whoever they were) would heal your Pokémon for free (which seemed a bit too farfetched for her. So many people could abuse the system!), and the Pokémon Mart, where she could buy supplies for her journey (if she was on one) and medicines for her Pokémon. The tour was nice, but it became even better when they began to walk along the shoreline.

Without even noticing it, Wallace had taken her to the place where he'd found her. It was a surreal experience, to say the least, as May was now on land rather than frolicking in the sea. She wanted to jump back in and dive down to her home, but she knew that was basically impossible. A documentary on the television in her room (which was another strange device that showed people's faces through glass) told her that one man had dived to the bottom of the ocean and had to hold his breath for as long as he could. Soon, his lungs became the size of oranges. She didn't know what an orange was, but she assumed it wasn't very big.

While Wallace took a break to let his milotic swim in the water, May slipped off her shoes and reveled in the feeling of the cool water on her feet. It wasn't anything like being fully submerged, but it was just homey enough to make her feel better about being so far away.

"You know, Mossdeep isn't the only city out here," Wallace said. May raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Over there," Here, he pointed to a far off rocky-island in the distance. "is Sootopolis City. That's where I'm from."

She whistled, impressed. "Wow, you live in a cave?"

"It's more like a hollowed out shell, if you ask me. See, there's this huge hole at the top of the cave that allows the sun to come through. Sure, there are a lot of rocks around and below us, but it's cozy, once you get used to it." He suddenly struck a very random pose and added, "I'm also the Sootopolis City Gym Leader."

_What's a Gym Leader?_ May asked herself. _Is it like the mentors we have underwater, like Dad? I guess they have more space to train and grow then we do. But the way he acted when he said that makes me think that's something important. Maybe I should act accordingly._ "Really?" she said with a hint of surprise.

He nodded. "I mean, I don't expect you to know much about me, considering you haven't taken the League Challenge—am I right?"

"Um, yeah," she responded sheepishly, making a mental note to learn more about it later.

"Don't feel too bad about it. Everyone and their poochyena are taking the challenge right now, so it makes you look unique to have chosen not to. And besides, there are so many things worth exploring in Hoenn. It's kind of overwhelming at times."

"What do you think I should be doing then?" May asked.

"I would tell you to enter some contests. They're basically performances where Trainers and Pokémon display their power in an elegant talent show. They have a contest Hall in Fallarbor, don't they?" Wallace laughed and added, "My niece is also one of Hoenn's rising stars in the contest district, so I am a little biased."

"Whoa, you have a niece?!" May said in shock. "But you're so—"

"Young? Attractive? Devilishly handsome?" Wallace interjected. "I know, I get that a lot. But my sister's a few years older than me and happened to find her soul mate."

"That's great to hear," May said with a smile. "You look like a doting uncle."

"I am. I mean, sometimes I'm afraid I'm being pushy when I visit Lisia after shows, but she's always so happy to see me and it makes me happy too."

The two fell into a comfortable silence as they watched milotic swim in the sea. May began looking around and noticed that there was something glimmering on the hillside behind her. "Wallace, what's that up there?" she said as she pointed to it.

He chuckled a bit and answered, "That's where the prince lives."

May's mouth dropped. "He lives in that?"

"I know, hard to believe," said Wallace. "But that's where he is. Well, where he's supposed to be."

"What do you mean?"

He shook his head sadly and said, "Lately, he's been in a bit of a rut. What I mean to say, is that he's off trying to find himself. His father recently passed away and he's not ready to take over the throne yet."

"Oh," May said, lowering her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"Not a lot of people do. Steven's tried to keep it all hush hush so people don't think he's being reckless by running away. In my opinion, he _is_ being reckless, but I know that's what he needs to do."

"How would you know that?" she asked, confused.

"Because the prince is my best friend."

May's mouth dropped faster than the bass at a nightclub. "You're kidding me!"

"No, I assure you that I could pass a polygraph test right now." Wallace looked out over the sea and sighed. "We grew up together when we were kids. Went to the same Trainer's School, had the same friends. Even our parents liked each other. But as we grew older, our mutual friends began to drift away. Thankfully, we stuck together. He decided to pursue his passions, and I mine, but we never let our friendship get pushed to the side. That is until…"

The now-human mermaid blinked, anticipating more to the story. "Until what?"

Wallace suddenly returned his milotic and began walking back towards the city. "Follow me."

May hastily picked up her shoes and followed the man as he returned to the heart of the city. It was now midday, and the sun was harsher than she could've expected. People bustled around, running errands, visiting friends or playing with their Pokémon. She wondered what he could want to show her.

As the two walked closer to the palace, May noticed a stream of people approaching the castle. Forming an orderly line, they all wore matching red outfits with a black 'M' on the front. To her, they seemed too stifling to be worn in the Hoenn heat. At the front of the procession was a spectacled man with flaming red hair. The stern expression on his face sent shivers up and down her spine. He led with confidence and the way he carried himself implied that he was an important person.

"Who's that?" May asked as she pointed to the man.

"He's what I wanted to show you," Wallace said sternly. His tone of voice took May by surprise. "That's Maxie, Prince Steven's advisor. He's in charge of making sure that things run smoothly while Steven's out finding himself. He's a very serious guy and always wants things to be structured. Like right now-he does this every day. He goes for a tour of the city, just like we did, though he goes everywhere, ensuring nothing's out of line. I could say that Maxie's kind of taken the whole 'watch over the region while I'm gone' thing a bit too far."

May raised an eyebrow. "So you don't like him?"

Wallace shrugged. "Well, it's not that I don't like _him_ per se, I don't like his way of thinking. What I'm trying to say is that I think he should slow down a bit. He's a great person for organizing and maintaining, and Steven wouldn't be where he is power-wise if it weren't for him, but some part of me thinks he's enjoying the prince's absence a bit too much." He sighed. "I wanted to show you who he was because if you're gonna stick around here for a bit, you'll have to watch out for him. He doesn't like change—at least change he isn't planning on making. Don't tell this to your friends or anything, but I think he's the reason Steven's been gone for so long. Usually, he'd be out of his little rut by now and back to his normal schedule. But I think Maxie has something to do with it and I don't like it."

She nodded. "It sucks that you're so suspicious of him. Especially since Steven's your best friend and all."

Wallace sighed and flipped his hair. "I didn't mean to throw all this on you on your second day of being here. It's just that…since he's left, there haven't been many people I can talk with. Sure, Lisia's around, but she's always practicing for her next show and I don't want to burden her with all this. But you seem like a trustworthy person, and I'm sure no one in Fallarbor Town will care about what happens in the big city."

"That's sad to hear, Wallace...but I'm glad you're being honest with me," May cleared her throat. "I don't think I'd be as happy as I am now if you hadn't shown up and saved me from…whatever that thing back in the sea was," She watched as Maxie ascended the stairs to the palace and promptly disappeared after the doors shut loudly behind him. Hoping to lighten the mood a bit, May perked up and said, "What else can you tell me about the prince? He seems like an interesting guy."

Wallace's face lit up. "I could go on and on about Steven. Besides the fact that he's my best friend, he's an excellent businessman. He gets it from his dad, you know? He's always crunching numbers and figuring out ways to better the region. He's a bit reserved, but that comes from being in the business world. Can't let them break you down out there. Did I mention he's obsessed with rocks?"

May's face was skeptical. "Rocks? Really?"

"Well, he'd take offense to that if he ever caught me calling them rocks, but that's what they are. No, he's actually interested in stones. They could be anything, evolutionary ones, shiny ones, heck; he'd even like a stone that didn't do anything!"

The more Wallace talked about the prince, the more May wanted to know about him. "What made him so passionate about stones?"

"Story time," Wallace started to make ridiculous arm gestures as he continued, "He told me once that he saw a woman swimming in the ocean late one night as he was looking for—you guessed it—rare stones. He saw that she had the most beautiful stone he'd ever seen in her hands. He claims that it was glowing in her hands and that he could see the waters around her calm down. Personally, I don't believe that for a minute, but as soon as he got up to ask about it, she was gone. He's been on the hunt for her—and the stone—ever since."

May chuckled a bit. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think he was using the stone as an excuse to see the girl again."

The man smiled and said, "That's actually what I thought too. But Steven's a unique guy. He doesn't get caught up in politics or the stupid games they play when you're in his position. And he's honestly not that interested in settling down, at least not at this point. I think he will be when he's finally uncovered every stone in the world. Then he'll want to lay back and stare at them all day long."

"I'd love to meet him one day," May said with a smile.

"I can't guarantee a private audience with the pampered heir, but I can try my best." Wallace winked. "Well, that is when he gets back."

"Of course," May replied. "I've probably taken up too much of our time, especially since you're a gym leader and all."

"Yes, I'll have to send you the bill for my services,"

May blinked.

"I'm just kidding!" Wallace laughed. "Now, since you know everything there is to know about Mossdeep, why don't you explore for yourself? There's a science center near the palace and more than enough Trainers to satisfy your battling appetite."

"You just said the magic words," she smiled as she fingered her mudkip's pokeball.

_I think it's time I introduced myself to this new world!_  
><em><br>_**A/N: A lot of background info in this chapter, but more excitement is on its way!**


	6. Shoal Cave

Chapter 6

Shoal Cave

Unfortunately for May, there were no mossy underwater rocks to set her things on, so she had to make do with the small ones that popped up from beneath the sand on the shore. One might think that, by training near the spot that she had been found as a human, she might be sad or homesick. It was quite the opposite: it gave her the motivation she needed to train.

"Alright mudkip," she said as she released said Pokémon. "We'll never get anywhere up here if we don't get our act together. I know it's gonna be a bit tough in the beginning—we're both pretty new to this. But I know we'll be able to do it!" Her mudkip smiled and cried out happily. "First thing's first: where do I find trainers who will battle me?" May raised a hand to her chin and sighed.

She scanned the area and noticed a man in a bright white robe punching the air alongside a Pokémon she'd never seen before. They look like they're training. Maybe they'd like to battle.

Turns out that he was more than happy to engage as her opponent and she soon learned that the Pokémon on land were not at all the same as the ones under the water. The Pokémon this man used was a fat little thing, and seemed to be wearing gloves. It was very slow moving, and only got in a few hits before her mudkip took it down.

As she was about to thank him for the battle and leave, he approached her and gave her money! She stared at it for a moment before thanking the man, who resumed his training, despite the fact that he had just lost the battle. It was nothing more than a few thin pieces of paper, but to May, it looked like the prince's paycheck. No one underwater paid their opponent after they were defeated; instead, the loser immediately sought the counsel of their mentor, who would then tell them what they did wrong and how to improve their strategy for their next battle. She thought that system seemed a lot more beneficial, but she wasn't going to complain. _Besides, I probably need some money so I can actually do stuff up here._

There weren't many trainers milling around the shores of Mossdeep City, and the ones she did find were fairly easy to defeat. May resolved to find a better place to train. A few questions to the locals revealed that there was a cave nearby that, when the tides were low, proved to be a good place to train. Knowing she had to cross a small patch of water before getting there, she went to a local store and bought what humans called a 'swim suit'. It felt like being covered in a slimy piece of seaweed, but May knew she would need it to blend in.

It didn't take long at all to reach Shoal Cave and she was fascinated by it. Of course, there were caves back home, but none that you could breathe in. This one was a bit empty compared to others, but there was an old man who told her that he could make her a shell bell (whatever that was) if she brought him four shoal salts and four shoal shells. Intrigued by the idea but repulsed by the amount of work—it involved coming back multiple times during the day when the tide was high and low to find these items—May decided that she would roam the cave for some Pokémon to battle.

She was so distracted by trying to track down elusive cave Pokémon that she didn't realize until it was too late that she was lost. In one of the deepest parts of the cave, May could feel a chill in the air. She shivered—a sensation that was still foreign to her. She was glad that she had brought what humans called a coat with her. Pulling it out of her bag and putting it on, she looked to her mudkip, who seemed concerned.

"I should've bought a map before we came," she said with a sigh. "We'll make it out of here. We can always just wait til the tides come in. Then we can swim out."

Her mudkip's anxiety seemed to fade a little, as its cry was now a bit happier in tone. May smiled. "For now, let's just explore a bit."

'Explore' to May meant feeling every part of the rock walls and feeling the cool sand between her new toes. Her mudkip dug in the sand and jumped around playfully. She didn't know if she preferred the caves filled with water to the ones filled with air, but she nonetheless enjoyed being able to do whatever she pleased without being disturbed.

Her exploring was cut off by her mudkip calling out to her. She saw that it was standing in front of a part of the cave wall, yipping at it incessantly.

"What did you find?" she asked as she walked up to it.

It nudged its head towards something on the wall. She leaned in closer and saw that her Pokémon had found something quite intriguing.

In front of her was a collection of drawings that seemed almost primitive in nature. It wasn't very big; it was probably the same size as her mudkip. Crudely drawn, the mural looked as if there were people looking up to the sky at something, but what they were looking at wasn't on the rock wall anymore. She thought the rest of the mural might have been covered by dirt and reached out a finger to try and dust it off.

"Don't touch that."

May turned around to see a figure standing a small distance away from her. He wore what humans would call an explorer's outfit, complete with a backpack and all of the necessary gear. He stared at her with a stern expression on his face and she was slightly taken aback at how quietly he had entered the cave.

"Why not?" she asked, unafraid of the strange man.

He took a step forward. "That pictogram could be evidence of a society that existed thousands of years ago. It's very fragile and any contact could cause it to be destroyed. You need special tools to even try to touch it." He took out a few brushes and picks from his pack to elaborate his point. "That drawing could be crucial in discovering how our ancestors lived."

May let her finger hover in the air as she took in the man's words. _I'm sure he doesn't mean my ancestors. But he seems like he knows what he's doing—all of those weird items he has on him make it look like he studies caves for a living. But these drawings look like something a child would make! They can't be historically significant…or can they?_

She placed her hands on her hips and said, "Look, if it's so special to you, why don't you put up a sign saying 'important archeological findings inside—do not disturb'?"

The man looked at her blankly.

_Apparently, humans don't have a sense of humour._

"Ok then, if you're so intent on keeping this picture safe, I'll just go." She stood up, brushed the sand off of her legs and began to walk away. She was almost at the exit when she heard him say, "Battle me."

She stopped walking and turned her head to look at him. "What?" she said, a bit shocked at his proposal.

"Battle me." He turned around and stared at her and she was caught off guard at how intimidating his eyes looked.

_He's nothing like the other Trainers I battled today. But then again, he doesn't look that normal to me. But what do I know? I've only been on land for a few days. Besides, the way he's looking at me makes me think he's a powerful trainer. I don't see the harm in showing him a thing or two about how an undercover mermaid battles. Heck, he might even become less of a zombie and more of an actual human._

"I guess I wasn't doing anything exciting today anyways," May said with a shrug. "You don't have to be so eager about it, though."

The man began to move towards the back of the cave and May took her spot a few meters away from him. She debated which Pokémon to choose and then remembered that she should establish some ground rules.

"I suggest that we battle one-on-one, with two Pokémon in our roster. There can be no items used." She said confidently.

The man merely shrugged in response.

"Alright, let's go mudkip!" May motioned for her mudkip to takes it place on the battlefield and it cried out happily.

The stranger threw a pokeball into the air and said, "Go, Lairon!"

May tried her best not to stare at the Pokémon, which she had never laid eyes on before. Its body was covered in protective plates. _With so many layers of protection, it will be hard to take down. But I'll experiment and see if I can't find its weakness._

"Mudkip, go ahead and use tackle!"

It ran towards its opponent and rammed into its side. The lairon didn't even flinch at the move.

That's one of mudkip's most physical attacks. It should've at least done something.

The man scoffed at the attack. "Lairon, use iron tail."

The Pokémon turned its back on the mudkip and slammed its tail into the side of May's Pokémon. It rolled on the ground a few times before landing near her.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

It lifted its head slightly and noded.

_That was a hard hit. One more of those and he'll be knocked out. Physical moves don't do anything, but it looks like most of my moves are like that. Wait a minute. There is one move that could do the trick…_

May said nothing as she watched her mudkip shakily get up off of the ground.

"Hmm," said the man. "Lairon, use iron tail again!"

As the Pokémon barreled towards her mudkip once again, May braced herself. Just when its tail was about to come down on it, May yelled out, "Dodge it and use mud bomb!"

Thankfully, speed was something that the lairon did not possess, as it was unable to move out of the way of the incoming mud bomb. It was covered in mud and quickly fell onto its side, unable to battle.

"Whoa," May said, surprised. "I didn't think it would work that well."

Her mudkip cried out happily as it ran up to her. She patted it on the head affectionately. The stranger returned his defeated Pokémon and sighed contemplatively. He lifted a hand to his chin and closed his eyes. May watched as he chose a different pokeball.

"I must admit that I wasn't expecting that move," he said. "But in battle, you must always expect the unexpected." He threw the pokeball in the air with a small flourish and said, "Come on out, metang!"

A floating Pokémon that seemed to be made of metal was released. It stared her down with blank eyes. May's own eyes widened as she took in the Pokémon's strange form. What is that? I've never seen anything like it!

"I might as well switch things up too," May pulled a pokeball out from her pocket and threw it in the air. "Let's see what you can do, psyduck!"

The duck-like Pokémon sprung out of its pokeball and landed softly on the battlefield.

May swore that she heard the stranger chuckle a bit as he took in his opponent. _There's nothing funny about my psyduck. I'll show you how tough it can be!_

"Quick, use confusion!" she commanded and the derpy Pokémon sent out a wave of psychic energy. Surprisingly, her opponent just stood and watched as the attack came hurtling towards his metang._ Aren't you going to dodge or attack back?_ The attack hit the metang, but it barely flinched on impact.

"What?" said May in disbelief.

The man smirked, something that took her by surprise, and said, "Metang, use bullet punch."

"What's that move?"

She soon learned that it was a powerful attack that involved the metang speedily hovering over to psyduck and promptly punching it in the face. The pokemon was blown back and tumbled next to her. _Not again! If this is anything like the last round, his next move is going to defeat psyduck. But I always have mudkip left, I suppose._

With this in mind, May was not surprised when her psyduck's water gun move did not stop the metang from finishing it off with yet another bullet punch. The duck's eyes closed and it flopped onto the ground shortly after impact. She returned it and motioned for her mudkip to return to the battle. Although weakened from the previous round, her mudkip had had some time to not only rest but observe the battle style of the stanger's metang. She hadn't planned it like that, but she realized how important resting her muskip would prove to be.

"Alright mister tough guy," she said. "I know you're a man of little words, but I want you to answer something for me: if you wanted to battle so much, why are you knocking me out so easily? A true Trainer would make the battle linger just so they could see how powerful their opponent really is. But all you're doing is pummeling by Pokémon down with no thought about it. So what's going on?"

The man looked down at the ground and balled his fists. May didn't let her gaze wander from him as he took in her words. "You wouldn't understand." He finally said. "No one can…" He lifted his head and pointed his finger towards his metang. "Metang, use zen headbutt!"

May gasped as the Pokémon came hurtling towards her mudkip. Knowing that it would be too late to give her Pokémon any commands, she cried out, "Mudkip, try your best to stand firm!"

Her partner nodded and curled into a ball just in time to brace for the impact of the attack. To May's shock, it stood firm, as commanded, and endured the hit to the best of its ability. The metang floated back towards its partner. She could see that mudkip had been hurt, but was not as badly damaged as she had initially thought. She smiled and started to say, "Good job, mudkip!" when it started to glow.

"What's happening?" she asked in disbelief as her Pokémon began growing before her very eyes. Soon, it emerged from the light in a form she'd never seen before. It was taller, had a different face and had longer, stronger fins. Its eyes were still the same, and they shined at her. "Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed as she took in the sight of her new mudkip—well, her new marshtomp.

The stranger made a noise that sounded like he was impressed. "Despite the power of my attacks, your mudkip was able to evolve." He locked eyes with her and added, "But it's still no match for my metang! Use metal claw!"

May grinned, happy to see the stranger emit some kind of emotion and said, "Quick, use mud shot!"

The mud shot prevented the metang from reaching her marshtomp, but the stranger was now more determined than ever. "Don't give up, metang."

"Before it can get up, use mud shot again!" May commanded.

The stranger gasped as it saw yet another attack come barreling towards his Pokémon. "dodge it and use bullet punch!"

May hadn't expected that move and before she knew it, she was witnessing the metang punch her marshtomp straight in the stomach. Her Pokémon was forced into the sand and it landed a few feet away from her.

As the sand settled in the cave, May noticed that she was breathing hard. Battling had taken more out of her than she had previously thought. Her defeated marshtomp lay on the sand, its breathing slow. She pulled out its pokeball and returned it. "Wow," she huffed, placing her hands on her knees. "You're strong."

The man merely nodded as he too returned his Pokémon. May continued to try and catch her breath, but she noticed that the stranger wasn't moving from his spot. He didn't approach her to give her prize money, like the other trainers had. Rather, he was staring at his metang's pokeball. He tossed it in his hands and the way he acted implied that he was deep in thought. He looked up at her and this time his gaze was not as intimidating. Picking up the pack that he had left on the floor previous to their battle, the man slung it across his shoulder and walked past her. Just as he was about to exit the cave, he paused, placed a hand on the wall and said, "I think I will return home now."


End file.
